GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks fall on 'fiscal cliff', Europe debt worry

NEW YORK, Nov 14 Stock markets fell on Wednesday
as investors waited for progress in approving aid for Greece and
in averting potential U.S. fiscal constraint in early 2013.

The euro, meanwhile, gained against both the dollar and the
yen. Elections in Japan are set for next month, and the main
opposition party favors further monetary easing.

In the United States stock indexes fell despite strong
earnings reported by technology bellwether Cisco and two retail
chains.

Investors are wary of the impact tax hikes and severe
spending cuts would have on the U.S. economy if President Barack
Obama and Congress fail to agree on a plan to avoid the
so-called fiscal cliff.

Though Greece is expected to secure short-term funding to
meet its debt obligations, international lenders disagree over
how Athens can cut its borrowing to more sustainable levels. A
deal to release aid payments remains a way off.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down 60.96
points, or 0.48 percent, at 12,695.22. The Standard & Poor's 500
Index was down 5.96 points, or 0.43 percent, at 1,368.57.
The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 6.16 points, or 0.21
percent, at 2,877.73.

Still, the release of minutes from the last Federal Open
Market Committee meeting later in the session is likely to
confirm an easy monetary policy bias for some time to come.

Meanwhile, a wave of strikes across Europe to protest
against spending cuts and tax hikes kept the focus on that
region's debt crisis.

"A quick solution for the U.S. fiscal cliff doesn't seem to
be on the cards and (there are) ongoing worries about Greece and
renewed concern about Spain," said Zeg Choudry, head of equities
trading at Northland Capital.

The MSCI world equity index fell 0.7 percent
to 319.89 after five days of losses. Markets across Europe fell,
but Asian markets recovered from seven-week lows.

In Europe investors were unable to shake off concerns about
a rekindling of the debt crisis, sending the FTSEurofirst 300
index of top European shares down 0.9 percent to
1,089.41 points, erasing Tuesday's 0.4 percent rise.

"The failure to sustain any momentum to the upside suggests
there is a buyers' strike and they are staying on the sidelines,
waiting for a resolution either in Greece or in the U.S.," Ioan
Smith, strategist at Knight Capital said.

The concerns over Greece, as well as lingering uncertainty
over whether Spain will seek a bailout and the prospect of slow
economic growth across the 17-member euro area boosted demand at
a German debt auction.

Triple-A rated Germany sold 4.3 billion euros ($5.5
billion)of two-year bonds that paid no interest, meaning Berlin
was able to borrow for free because investors prize the
country's strong fiscal position and highly liquid debt market.

Italy's borrowing costs also fell at a 3.5 billion euro sale
of new three-year government bonds, which completed its funding
needs for the year.

While Italy's bonds are considered risky because of its
high debt levels and weak economic outlook, borrowing costs have
been coming down due to the European Central Bank's promise of
support for nation's struggling to fund themselves.

JAPAN CRISIS

The euro meanwhile gained against both the dollar and the
yen after Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said he was set
to dissolve parliament's lower house on Friday for a snap
election next month, which is likely to cost him his job,

Opinion polls show Noda's Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ)
heading for a drubbing in the vote, which government and senior
party members have said would be held on Dec. 16.

That outcome is regarded as negative for the yen as the main
opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) favors further
monetary policy easing by the Bank of Japan.

The dollar rose 0.9 percent to 80.12 yen and the euro
climbed 1.2 percent on the day to 102.10 yen. Against
the dollar, the euro was 0.25 percent higher at $1.2730.

The greenback was easier against most major currencies other
than the yen on growing signs that the Federal Reserve was
likely to adopt an ultra-loose monetary stance in coming months.

Influential Fed Vice Chair Janet Yellen said on Tuesday that
U.S. interest rates may need to stay near zero until early 2016
to forcefully lift employment.

However, any weakness was still being capped by concerns
that Washington will fail to find compromises needed to avoid a
series of mandated tax hikes and spending cuts due to take
effect next year that could send the world's largest economy
back into recession.

Profit-taking caused U.S. Treasury prices to fall and yields
to rise Wednesday after a post-election rally driven by concerns
over a potential U.S. fiscal crisis and Europe's debt woes.

But yields were not expected to stray far from their lowest
levels since September with price support from concerns over the
so-called fiscal cliff of $600 billion in U.S spending cuts and
tax increases set to start in January that could send the
economy back into recession.

Ten-year Treasury notes traded 6/32 lower
in price to yield 1.62 percent, up from 1.59 percent late
Tuesday. The yield on Tuesday touched 1.57 percent, the lowest
in 10 weeks.

CHINA WATCH

Moves in commodity markets were limited, with traders
watching developments in Europe and the United States and also
wary about the ramifications of the political transition in
China due to be announced on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the 2,270 carefully vetted party delegates
cast their votes in Beijing's Great Hall of the People for the
new central committee, which in turn will appoint the Politburo
Standing Committee that will ultimately rule China.

The new government's attitude to supporting growth, which
has been slowing all year, will be closely watched as China is
the world's top consumer of many commodities.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was
down 0.4 percent at $7,646 a tonne, while gold rose 0.27
percent to $1,724.51 an ounce, still below a 3-week peak of
around $1,738 struck on Friday.

In oil markets Brent crude reversed early losses to
gain $1.34 to $109.60 a barrel, supported by the dollar's fall
against a basket of currencies, aside from the yen, which makes
dollar-denominated oil more affordable.

WASHINGTON, Dec 9 Aetna Inc's chief
executive denied on Friday that its withdrawal from some
Obamacare exchanges was in retaliation for government efforts to
halt its merger with Humana Inc, as he sought to
convince a federal judge to approve the deal.

LOS ANGELES, Dec 9 President-elect Donald Trump
will remain an executive producer on the reality TV show
"Celebrity Apprentice," new host Arnold Schwarzenegger said on
Friday, defending the situation as similar to his own
transitions between politics and entertainment.

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